THIEF
by iTumnusXinXNarnia
Summary: Twelve years after the events at the gallery, Ib has finally started her first exhibition and is proud of her work. Her best friends Garry and Kara help when they can, but when Ib is plagued by red paint forming letters and one word constantly whispered in her ear... Ib is becoming too scared to continue her art work. Will she ever be able to defeat her inner demons?
1. Chapter 1 - Nightmares

**A/N: I got this idea after I finished Ib for the millionth time. Enjoy! _Italics means flashbacks_**

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 _Ib took the Rose from the vase, marveling at how it felt in her hands... how it seemed to be tied to her by millions of little strings. Whatever happened to this Rose affected her. Should it lose a petal, she would begin to weaken and feel pain. And as she held the Rose, she heard a voice. It was faint... ever so faint. She stopped, looking about, and she shrugged, putting the Rose safely in her pocket and entering the nearest doorway._

 _A single painting adorned the wall - a woman with grey hair smiling merrily, her eyes closed. One the ground in front of her was a pretty blue key. Ib stepped forward cautiously, taking the key up and examining it. Up this close, the key appeared even prettier, and she pocketed it to use later. Glancing up, she gasped aloud at the picture. The woman's expression had changed - her eyes were looking to her left and her tongue hung out of her mouth. Ib heard the voice again, and she shook her head in fear, turning and fleeing._

 _The door clanged shut behind her loudly as she stepped into the hall, fear causing her to be breathless momentarily. Her eyes shut tightly when she heard the whisper again, this time louder. "Thief."_

 _Ib froze, holding the front of her dress. She glanced down the corridor, seeing something glinting on the floor. As she walked, she noticed the letters on the wall had changed. They now spelled T-H-I-E-F. She was shivering hard now, and almost stepped on whatever was on the floor. Her eyes widened as she heard three loud taps, and the letters appeared on the floor._

 _THIEF._

Ib vaulted upright from her bed, breathing in deeply. She held a hand to her chest, trying to calm herself down as she could feel beads of sweat rolling down her temples. She'd had that dream again... just like she'd had it many times that night. She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and resting her head on her kneecaps, taking deep breaths. Ib needed to calm herself down... she wasn't sure how, but she had to.

Getting out of bed, she found her apron and made her way to her tiny studio, flicking on the light as she went in. She pulled the white sheet that covered her easel off, setting it nearby, and stepping back to take a look at her latest creation. It was still a work in progress, a long way off being completed, but she was glad. Painting took her mind off a lot of things - including her nightmares.

This piece was one of her treasured handkerchief from many years ago, still dotted with the blood that had come from Garry's hand when he'd accidentally gotten injured... Ib had a title in mind, but decided she would properly think about one when it was complete. Picking up her easel, she began to paint, the strokes and sweeps coming to her as naturally as breathing.

Ib wiped her forehead, accidentally smearing white paint across her skin. She ignored it, though, as she selected a different brush and dipped it in the black paint. Her tongue stuck out a little as she worked, barely stopping to even check the time. She had barely even noticed that sun had risen when she heard an insistent knocking at her front door, waking her from her zone.

Blinking, Ib stepped back to admire her work. It was still no where near done, but she had made significant progress. Putting the easel and brush down, Ib took off her apron and hung it on a hook behind the studio door before heading out and to the front door, checking the peep hole to see who it was. Standing outside with her familiar electric blue hair and black leather jacket was Ib's best friend, Kara, who was holding up a bag.

"Ib? Are you in? I brought some bagels!" she called out, and Ib opened the door. Kara smiled widely, stepping into the apartment. "You've been up painting again?" she asked, walking through Ib's apartment to the kitchen, where she sat the bag on the bench. Ib closed the front door and joined Kara, accepting a bagel Kara passed to her. She nodded.

"Yeah... I'm been having nightmares again," she said quietly, picking at her bagel a little. Kara sat at one of the chairs at the bench, taking a bite of bagel, and waited for Ib to continue. Ib took a deep breath. "Kara... do you think I take too much inspiration for Weiss Guertana?" she asked, and Kara stopped munching. "Is it too much that it can be classed as plagiarism?"

Kara began chewing again as she thought of her answer. "Well... you aren't copying directly, and you really have a personal style that isn't like Guertana's," she said slowly, taking another bite of her bagel. Ib nodded along with her words, trying to calm her beating heart. "If you were copying, critics would say, and you would be accused of stealing," she reasoned sensibly.

Ib nodded, hoping sincerely that Kara was right. But she couldn't shake the image in her mind of those red letters spelling THIEF. Kara didn't know about this; she just continued eating. She knew Ib enough not to press her about it; Ib would eventually just shut off and pretend there was nothing wrong. Only Garry could convince her to tell all.

Kara finished her bagel and pulled out a coffee cup, taking a sip. "Are you still working on that piece - the one with the handkerchief?" she asked, and Ib nodded, motioning for Kara to follow her as she left the room and headed to her studio. She opened the curtains in the studio so the sunlight could shine on the easel, and Kara nodded in appreciation.

"Nice," she said with a smile. "I think this is one of your best yet!" she declared, and Ib laughed.

"No, it can't be," she disagreed, shaking her head. "I don't know what will be my best yet... but I will get there one day."

Kara hesitated for a few moments. She seemed almost about to say something, but closed her mouth as Ib cleaned up her easel a little, putting paintbrushes in cups of water and making sure the paint palette wasn't leaning. Ib turned back to Kara, wiping her hands on a dishcloth.

"Kara?" Ib said, snapping Kara out of her thoughts. "Are you ok?"

Jumping a little, Kara looked up at Ib, who was gazing at her curiously. Quickly, Kara shook her head.

"No... it's all fine, Ib," she said reassuringly, smiling. She checked her watch, her eyes widening. "Ib, I'm so sorry, but I have to go! If you need me though, call me and I will come back!" she told Ib quickly, handing Ib her coffee cup and flying out of the room. "Bye, Ib!"

Ib was a little surprised by Kara's sudden departure, but she didn't say anything. She just waved goodbye to her friend, gazing at the coffee cup in her head. It was still pretty full, and Ib wasn't a huge fan of coffee. Usually, Garry drank all the coffee. But Garry wasn't here now... much to Ib's disappointment. Shrugging off her disappointment, she set the coffee cup on the window sill and turned back to her painting.

Only to leap away from the painting, shrieking in fear. Her back hit the wall, and she stayed there, staring at the painting, her whole body shaking. Gradually, she slid to the floor, her knees up to her chest, and she covered her eyes, shaking her head. "No," she whispered. "No, no, no, no..."

When Ib peeked through her hands to see if it was still there, it was. The red paint... that same writing that she had seen so many years ago...

THIEF.

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Hours later, as the sun was setting, she heard someone knocking on the front door, calling out. Ib didn't move; she remained where she had managed to stumble to her bedroom, hours before, and curled up in the middle of her bed in a fetal position. That same image remained in her head, and she continuously wiped tears away. Her blanket was soon soaked, and she ignored all around her.

The knocking became insistent, and she recognised the voice that called out. "Ib! Ib, are you in there?" Garry called out, and Ib did not answer. She tried to, but no sound came out her mouth, so she just rested her head back on her blanket and covered her eyes. There was silence for a few moments, following by the sound of the lock, and the door handle turning.

Garry's footsteps entered the house. Ib didn't move still as she heard him moving about, opening doors and shutting them again, all the while calling out her name. He finally arrived at the bedroom, peeking in to find Ib. Her hand was still pressed against her face, her eyes shut, and Garry let out a yell of surprise, crossing the room and kneeling beside Ib's bed.

"Ib! Ib, are alright? What happened? You weren't answering your phone... Oh, dear," Garry mumbled, and finally managed to pry Ib's hand away from her face. Her crimson eyes stared at him.

She lifted her hand. Garry stiffened up as she rested her hand on his cheek. He was here. Garry was here. He was real as well, she felt his skin beneath her fingertips. Those familiar purple locks and violet eyes. He gazed at her with concern, waiting for her to speak.

"On the easel," she whispered, nodding at the door. Garry turned his head slightly in the direction of the studio, giving Ib a questioning look. She nodded again. "In the studio... check the easel..." Garry nodded, standing and walking out of the room. She waited for him, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart that had started up when Garry had appeared. While he was gone, it would give her time to compose herself.

Silence followed Garry until he opened the studio door. Ib waited, clutching her arms as she waited, and the time seemed to tick on. After a few minutes, and the studio door closed and Garry walked back in, shaking his head slightly.

"What's the matter? It looks fine," he told her, sitting next to Ib. bed and taking her hand. "I just covered up your easel after making sure the paint was dry."

Ib didn't answer. Had she imagined the red paint? Possibly... she was getting a lot less sleep than she normally would. Perhaps she was sleep deprived... but it had looked so real. So like the one she had seen so long ago... She shook her head slightly, burying her face in her blanket.

Garry shook her. "Hey, Ib, are you ok? Did you see something that I overlooked?" he asked, and Ib shook her head. She couldn't believe that she wasn't telling Garry about this, usually he was the first to believe anything crazy or weird. Sometimes, he was the only one who believed in something crazy or weird. After being chased everywhere by women who leaped out of paintings, Ib couldn't blame him.

But now... she couldn't say it. So, she just shook her head and whispered, "Nothing. It's nothing. It was a spider."

Garry didn't push her. He wanted to, but Ib might just get upset with him. Instead, he said, "Do you want to go get something for dinner? A new Chinese place opened down the road - apparently it's pretty good. Do you want to get something there?" With her face still in the blankets, Ib nodded. Garry chuckled, patting her head.

"Okay. I'll go wait in the loungeroom while you change," he told her, patting her head once more before getting up and heading into the loungeroom. Ib remained where she was, face still hidden, but it wasn't from fear anymore.

It was because she blushing crazily at Garry's dinner idea.


	2. Chapter 2 - Preparation

**A/N: Amazingly, I got a review, thank you so much :D please enjoy this chapter**

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Ib arrived early in the morning at the gallery she would have her exhibition at. Already waiting outside, leaning against the wall, was Garry and Kara. Kara was smoking a cigarette. They both looked Ib's way when she approached.

"Ib!" they called out, and Garry ran over, standing before Ib. She smiled up at him, trying to ignore her frantically beating heart, and Garry said, "We've been here for an hour already. We set up some of the tables, and we made sure all the artwork was inside so if it rained they wouldn't be damaged. Is that ok?" Ib nodded along with his words as Kara dropped her cigarette on the ground, stamping on it.

"Well!" she declared, clapping her hands together. "Shall we?"

Nodding again, Ib went to the gallery door and unlocked, letting herself into the dim gallery. Garry flicked on the secondary lights, and slowly the empty space was filled with light. In one corner was covered paintings and other assorted pieces of Ib's, and along one wall was a few tables all set up, obviously the refreshment tables. Nails were in the wall here and there so Ib could hang her paintings, but really she was allowed to put them anywhere in here and in the room upstairs.

Garry was the first to reach Ib's artwork; he took the sheet off the first one and held it up, admiring it. It was a picture of Kara's usually coffee cup, without the logos on it of course, and the attention to detail Ib had put in it almost made it seem like you could just up the coffee and drink. Ib herself wasn't a fan of coffee, but both Garry and Kara both drank it so she didn't mind having it on canvas.

Turning to Ib, Garry said, "So what shall we do? Do you want to decide, or shall we unveil a few more and decide then?"

Ib thought for a few moments, before walking over and taking the painting from Garry. She set it against the nearest wall, stepping back to look at it for a few moments. She then took the cloth off another painting and put it next to the coffee one. Ib stepped back again, tapping her chin, and Garry and Kara just watched.

"I think... we should take all the cloth off and I will decide where they all go," Ib said at last, nodding. "That why I can see what goes with what, what compliments what, that sort of thing." She smiled with happiness and relief. "Help me, please!"

Garry and Kara wasted no time in falling into place, helping to remove all the cloth and placing the portraits here and there. Ib studied each one as the cloth came off, trying to decide where each one would go, and soon each painting and bit of artwork had been uncovered.

Kara was holding three life-like roses. One was red, another blue and the last yellow. Ib felt a small pang when she gazed at them, but Kara simply placed them on one of the small tables suppiled for some of the smaller pieces. Somehow, the way she put them down was arranged beautifully, and Ib was a little relieved.

Out the corner of her eye, she saw Garry eyeing the roses nervously, so Ib cleared her throat. "Um, thank you," she said aloud to Garry and Kara, and they turned to her with smiles. "I can take it from here - you guys can go, if you like."

Kara simply shook her head. "I'm not leaving you here alone. I'll be back in a bit - I'll get us some macaroons!" Nodding defiantly, Kara ignored any protest Ib made and grabbed her bag, heading out into the light drizzle. Garry had been right about the rain.

Garry, however, simply sat against one of the walls, watching Ib. "I'll stay. The thought of you alone here gives me the willies," he admitted with a nervous laugh, and Ib felt her heart leap a little in her chest. Garry was going to stay here with her? Maybe...

She stopped that thought in its tracks. Don't be silly, she scolded herself, hurrying to start putting paintings up. Nothing's going to happen. Don't be a fool. Breathing evenly to calm her furiously beating heart, Ib distracted herself by getting into setting up her gallery.

Ib did such a good job of working that she forgot Garry was there. Most of the smaller paintings had been put up - the bigger ones were a two man job to hang. Ib stepped back to admire her work, smiling, and she bumped into something larger than her, and very warm.

Behind her, Garry hummed. "Wow, this is looking good so far, Ib," he admitted, and Ib's cheeks suddenly felt hot. She pressed her hands to them in a weak attempt to cool them down, and she whispered, "Really?"

There was the sound of movement, and she felt Garry's arms go around her in a tight hug. He rested his chin on her shoulder. "Of course it does," he insisted, and Ib could tell he was smiling. "I wouldn't lie to you about something this important to you." He gave her a squeeze before letting go. Garry approached the bigger paintings as the door to the gallery flew open and Kara appeared, bringing the wind and the cold with her.

Ib jumped at the sound of door opening, and quickly turned her face away from her friends to get rid of the blush. Combined with the cold, it went away pretty quickly and she was able to join Kara and Garry when Kara produced the macaroons, protected from the rain and clod in her bag. Setting out a sheet like a picnic rug, the three sat down, joking, laughing and talking amongst themselves.

When they finally decided to go home, the exhibition wasn't completely set up, but that was alright. Ib still had a few days before she had to be all ready for show, but for now, she dozed off in Kara's car as she drove Ib and Garry home. As they neared Ib's place, Ib felt something warm cover her hand, and glanced up to see Garry holding her hand, smiling at her.

"You'll do great," he whispered to her, and Ib was so surprised that she barely managed to utter a goodbye when they arrived at her place, and she thanked Kara and Garry again for helping her. Shutting the car door behind her, Ib rushed through the rain to the front door, letting herself in, where she headed straight for the shower.

Ib awoke abruptly in the middle of the night, her chest heaving. She had had one of those dreams again... the word 'thief' echoed over and over again in her mind. Clutching her pillow tightly to her chest, Ib rolled over, trying to think of more pleasant things.

Things that made her happy, like sunny days... macaroons... beautiful art... the colour purple... hair that hung over one eye... Garry. Garry made her happy. The very thought of him sent her heart into a frenzy, and she allowed herself to close her eyes and imagine him hugging her tightly, warmly. He said his kinds words that turned into sweet nothings in Ib's mind, and she imagined him telling her she was beautiful, drawing her close... kissing her...

Ib jerked roughly. She had begun to doze off in her musings and her mind had abruptly brought her back, ending her happy daydream. Groaning lowly, she rolled onto her stomach and put the pillow over her head, trying to dispel any thoughts of Garry. She couldn't think of him like this. He was too old. He was thirty, she was twenty-one, there was no way...

Not too worry. Surely she would meet many young artists at her exhibition, young men who were her age and enjoyed art and saw things like she did... They would be perfect. Well... almost. There was one minor detail they would all be missing.

None of them were Garry.


	3. Chapter 3 - A Bouquet of Red Roses

**A/N: Two chapters in one day?! xD sorry this took so long, my muse went away but now it's back :) enjoy!**

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The sound of the doorbell ringing woke Ib the next morning. She was lying spread-eagled in her bed, arms and legs in every direction, and one of her pillows was on the floor. She hadn't slept well after her many musings... She never slept well if she started to stress out.

She had barely begun to throw back the blanketsw when the doorbell rang again, and Ib grumbled to herself, "I'm coming, calm down!" Getting out of bed, she took her dressing gown off its hook behind the door and headed out to the front door, tying the cord tightly around her waist. Still grumbling, she threw the door open... only to find no one was there.

Ib's eyes widened in surprise, and she shook her head in disbelief, going to close the door. It was nearly shut when she noticed something sitting on the front mat, moving a little in the wind. Rain splattered on the porch around it, so Ib quickly opened the door, grabbed the bouquet of roses and shut the door again, blocking out the cold.

It was a bouquet of lon-stemmed red roses, and they were positively beautiful. There was no note - they had simply been left there. Who had left them there? Ib felt her heart tap - she knew who she wanted to have left them there, but she wasn't all that sure he had. Instead, she ventured to the kitchen, picking up the empty vase that adorned one of the kitchen counters and filled it with water.

I'll put this in the studio, Ib thought, carrying the vase carefully to her studio and placing it on the old dresser in the studio. There were no clothes in the dressers, rather it was filled with assorted paints, paintbrushes, canvases, a few old aprons and many letters from Garry over the years.

Ib stepped back to admire the roses. They looked perfect, especially with the way light filtered in through the lace curtains and rain trickled on the windows. Setting up a new canvas, Ib was determined to capture this simple moment - a moment that was one in a million in her mind.

She worked hard for the better part of the morning, managing to get most of the outlines up and even some of the colours before she decided to stop. It was nearing lunch time, and she really needed to get to the gallery and continue setting up. She was going alone today - Garry had a job interview and Kara was working.

Packing her stuff away, Ib cast the new painting one last glance bforew she left to have a shower. She dressed and put all hew necessary items into a handbag before she left, locking the door carefully behind her. It was still raining, so she popped out her umbrella and started walking toward the studio.

As she went, she passed by her and Garry's favourite cafe - the smell of coffee, sandwiches and macaroons wafted out at Ib, and she couldn't resist going in to order one of their hot chocolates and a few macaroons. The server smiled at her, recognising her.

"Hello again, Ib," he said with a smile, taking Ib's money and putting it in the till. "Where's Garry today? I don't see you alone."

Ib shrugged slightly. "He has a job interview today. I'm going to finish setting up the gallery," she told the server, accepting her change. "I can't lift a lot of the big paintings on my own, but the sculptures and smaller paintings need to be set up." She nodded at the macaroons the server was bagging. "Might need a snack," she admitted with a smile, and the server chuckled.

He put the bag on the counter before busying himself with the hot chocolate. "Remember to recommend those other artists to here, I know they will enjoy," he told Ib with a wink, and she laughed.

"Aliright, I'll try," she said, taking the hot chocolate and giving a small wave. "Thank you!" she called, picking up the macaroons and walking back out into the rain. Clutching the bag tightly, she continued on to the gallery, humming a small song to herself as she went. Arriving at the gallery, she hurried to get inside, the chill of the rain finally sinking into her bones, and she let herself in with a sigh of relief.

Putting her bag near where she was going to start, Ib took a sip of her hot chocolate. It was amazing as always, and she dragged one of the spare tables over to her working area so she could sit her macaroons and drink on it. She set to work, letting hardly anything break her concentration except for the food and drink, and soon she had put up quite a few paintings, and she was satisfied with where they were.

Ib stepped back to admire her work, nodding to herself. As she did so, she heard a phone go off and almost jumped out of her skin. Realising it was her own phone, she fished about in her bag for it, finding it had received a text message from Kara, which read How's the setting up going?

Smiling, Ib sent back a text truthfully telling Kara that it was going well and switched her phone to silent, putting it back in her bag. Only an hour and a half gone by since she started, and she was already feeling a little tired. The lack of sleep and painting early that morning were taking a slight toll.

Ib yawned, picking up another painting, and set back to work. Another hour passed without much happening, and the only sounds were Ib moving about, her humming and the rain and traffic outside.

After putting up a slightly sinister piece that depicted a broken lipstick, Ib decided to take a break. Taking the last of her macaroons, Ib walked to an empty wall and sat down, leaning against it. She took a bite of a macaroon, savouring the not-too-sweetness of it, and the cream in the middle.

She was more tired than she thought. Putting the macaroon back in the bag, Ib nodded off, allowing herself to take a short nap. She had to have her full concentration with this exhibit, and if she slept in the middle of it, it wouldn't look good on her part.

Ib slept through the vibrating noises coming from her bag, indicating a phone call. She slept through a firetruck going past, its sirens wailing, and she slept through a sneeze. Only did Ib wake when she heard a loud clap of thunder and the louds went out. She awoke with a small shriek, clutching at her macaroons, and breathed deeply to calm herself down.

Breathe, Ib, she thought to herself. It's just a thunderstorm, it can't hurt you. Another clap of thunder sounded, and Ib realised she was shaking violently. "I should've gone home," she mumbled. "I should've gone home." Ib was about to climb to her feet when lightning lit up the gallery, making it seem a lot creepier than it actually was, and Ib saw strange dark spots here and there on the floor.

The gallery lit up again, andf Ib managed to quickly touch one of the dark spots as the gallery fell into darkness again. Swallowing hard, she held up the spot. It was soft and silky, like... like a rose petal. She frowned, staring harder at the petal, only to jump again when thunder rolled, even louder now, and lightning flashed.

Climbing to her feet, Ib inched her way through the room to her bag, where she found her phone. She had two missed calls from Garry and eight text messages from Kara. There was also two text messages from Garry. The first read Ib, there's going to be a storm, will you be alright? The second one read Ib, I just went to your place and you weren't there. Where are you? Are you alright?

Ib was about to reply wqhen lightning flashed again, and the dark spots seemed to be in a line leading down to the far end of the gallery, where a few pictures were hung, as well as a sculpture. Turning on the torch on her phone, Ib crept down the room.

She was right about the petal. More were scattered here and there, almost like an organised path, and she couldn't help glancing at her artwork as she went. She shuddered at a picture of a clown she had painted - it looked much happier and brighter in daylight. Right now Ib was terrified it was going to leap out and attack her.

Something flashed, and it wasn't the lightning - a memory. A large room, with the floor covered in scriblles with dolls, headless bodies and heads without bodies all coming toward her. The dolls, with those delighted, creepy grins... Garry hated them so.

Ib snapped herself back to the present, reaching where the petals ended, under a painting that was covered. Ib had had to cover it up - despite the fact that she had had to have painted this picture eventually, it was still hard for her to look at it. Garry as well.

As she gazed at the petals on the floor, and thunder faded away until it sounded muted. Everything seemed.. slow, all of sudden. Ib felt her heart thump a little harder, and she went to stand upright when something floated down in front of her face. Her eyes followed it - it was another petal.

That was when she heard it. That same song she had heard so long ago, that voice, even the laughter that accompanied it... It sent shivers up her spine.

"I am Maaary, I am Maaary, I am Maaary..."

The singing stopped, followed by giggling. Ib was shaking so hard by now that her teeth chattered. Why was she hearing this? Was it because...

Slowly, still shaking, Ib looked up at the covered painting. It was her painting... a painting of Mary. Ib's depiction of her - a kind, sweet, lonely girl who just wanted to meet her father. Despite what Garry said, Ib couldn't help feeling sorry for Mary. She wished there had been a way for Mary to be in the real world. Maybe then she wouldn't be so lonely...

Ib's thoughts were interrupted when she saw what was on the sheet covering the painting. In red paint was the word THIEF. The giggling sounded again, the singing starting up. Ib stared at the sheet, her eyes wide with fear. Mary laughed again, and Ib took a large step away from the painting. She placed her hands over her ears.

"No... no, this can't be happening... I'm mdreaming... I'm dreaming!" she said to herself, closing her eyes and shaking her head. Mary laughed again, this time in her head.

"Iiiiiiib," she sang, and Ib shook her head harder. "What's the matter, Ib? You said we'd be together forever! Oh wait... Ohohohohohoho! You LIED! You're a liar, and a thief!" Mary laughed again. She didn't sound the least bit angry or upset. She just sounded... amused. "Me?" Mary asked rhetorically, and Ib could imagine the blonde-haired girl pointing at herself. "Well, I am Maaary, I am Maaary, I am Maaary..."

"STOP!" Ib shouted, which was not something she did often, and she opened her eyes. "Stop, stop, STOP! Leave me alone! Leave me alone!" she shrieked, and Mary's laughter followed her as she rushed back to the table, gathering up her stuff and heading to the doors. She let herself out and ignored the storm around it as she locked the doors.

Mary's voice seemed to vanish as Ib shut the door, and she let out a small sob of relief, almost sinking to the ground. She nearly did when the headlights of a car approached her, and Ib struggled to identify the driver behind the lights and the storm. She was tired - she suddenly felt very weak. She bowed her head as the drivers door of the car opened.

Looking up, Ib managed to recognise the car as Kara's, but it was Garry who rushed toward her, grasping her shoulders before she could fall. "Ib... IB!" he called, holding her up. "I'm getting you out of here. Let's go home," he said, and quickly helped Ib to the car.

The last thing Ib registered before passing out was Garry grasping her cold hand tightly and saying, "It'll be alright soon, Ib... I won't leave you alone in this storm."


	4. Chapter 4 - The Messages in Red

**A/N: I am so bad at updating this :'( but really, I forget my password ALL THE FREAKING TIME! IT'S RIDICULOUS! I should write it down xD anyway! here's chapter four, enjoy!**

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 _I am Maaary, I am Maaary, I am_ Maaary...

Those words followed Ib around for days after Garry found her sitting outside her gallery, cold and alone. She wished dearly that she could tell him of the torment Mary was putting her through, all these years later. She was angry at Ib. And Ib knew exactly why.

She researched online where the next Weiss Guertana exhibition was, but it was in an entirely different country. Ib didn't have enough money to fly so far so suddenly, so she hoped there would be an exhibition nearby soon. She moved the cursor to the top right of the screen, closing the browser... only to leap back with a scream, almost tipping her chair back.

Her desktop wallpaper was now completely black, except for the red letters splattered over the middle - THIEF. Ib was shaking... was she dreaming? She blinked a few times to be rid of the word, but it was still there when she stopped a minute later. Fueled by fear, Ib quickly turned the monitor off, and the word.

Should she tell Garry? He would be deeply concerned to learn that Mary was still haunting Ib... He really didn't like Mary when they had been there with her in the gallery. Understandable, since she had tried to kill Garry... but she had also just wanted to get out, to live. Could Ib really fault her that? She could fault her the trying-to-kill-Garry part, but everything else...

Ib was yanked from her thoughts when she heard a knock at the door, making her jump again. Giving her head a shake, she told herself to get a grip before heading to the door, throwing it open to discover Kara standing there. She smiled cheerfully. "Morning, Ib!" Kara cheered, letting herself in and putting her umbrella down. As she turned it to shake the water droplets outside, Ib caught sight of the top, where familiar red letters were written.

THIEF.

She almost gasped aloud but stopped herself. "Kara, what's wrong with your umbrella?" she asked instead, hoping Kara could see the letters as well. Kara stopped her shaking, turning her umbrella this way and that. "Nothing?" she informed Ib curiously, and when she closed her umbrella, Ib saw the word was gone.

Maybe she was going crazy.

Kara set her umbrella in Ib's umbrella stand and moved into the warmer loungeroom, sighing with relief at the warmth that enveloped her. "It's still raining out, Ib... do you have any plans today?" she asked, taking off her coat and folding it neatly. She placed it on the small table next to the door before she realised Ib hadn't spoken.

The crimson-eyed girl was just standing there, looking bothered. Kara snapped her fingers in Ib's face, bringing her back to earth. Ib blinked a few times before she shook her head. "Uh, no. The exhibition had been put on hold until the weather lets up, so the gallery will stay locked for a few days."

Kara nodded along with Ib's words, her eyes twinkling. "Well, then!" she declared, clapping her hands together. "I say we get an abundance of junk food, a season or two of one of our favourite shows and just have a lazy day! What do you say, Ib?" She looked quite excited. Ib couldn't say no to Kara, even if she wanted to. Did she want to say no? Perhaps hanging out with Kara would take her mind off...

Ib nodded furiously, smiling widely. If she didn't think the name, it didn't exist. Kara let out a cheer as Ib's smile became a little weak, but Kara didn't seem to notice. She grabbed Ib's arm. "Come on! Let's bring your mattress out, set up the tv and all that, but we'll go out for lunch! We don't start watching movies before lunch!" she decided, dragging Ib down the hallway to her bedroom.

She let herself in and started tossing pillows and various items of clothing off Ib's bed, but she was courteous enough to place Ib's laptop on the floor gently before tossing off the doona with a flourish. This time, Ib gasped aloud, causing Kara to jump at the sudden noise. She whirled to face Ib.

"Ib? Ib! What's wrong?" Kara rushed to Ib. "Ib? You're as white as a sheet, are you alright?" When Ib didn't respond, Kara followed Ib's gaze to her bed, where the white sheet of the bed was the only thing remaining. Kara frowned, turning back to Ib. "What's the matter? I don't see anything wrong."

That almost confirmed insanity to Ib. She began shaking so hard that Kara now rushed to her, hugging Ib tightly. "Ib, Ib, whatever is the matter? It'll be alright, I promise..." But Ib could barely hear Kara. She just continued staring at her bed over Kara's shoulder.

For stitched into the white sheet with red thread was the word THIEF.

The back of Kara's car was filled with various chips, dip and chocolate and even a few tubs of icecream when she and Ib finally finished at the store. Ib took the wheel this time around, catching the keys when Kara tossed them to her. She slid into the drivers seat and started the car. She hadn't driven in a while, since she didn't have a car of her own, but she hadn't forgotten how to drive.

Kara chattered as Ib took the familiar route home. She zoned a little out of Kara talking, her thoughts drifting to Garry. What was he up to? She hadn't seen him since he'd found her outside the gallery... She hoped he was alright.

Ib thoughts came to a halt when she glanced up at a sign. She began slowing to stop, until she realised what was written on the sign. Ib felt her stomach twist harshly, and her hands gripped the steering wheel till her knuckles went white. In a panic, Ib slammed on the brakes, causing Kara to shriek. The two were jolted forward, Ib almost smacking her head on the steering wheel.

They sat there for a few moments, trying to catch their breath. Ib was shaking; her hands were beginning to hurt from where she was holding on tightly. She shook even harder when she dared to glance at the sign. And there it was, glistening in the sun, that word that seemed to following Ib everywhere, jumping out at her the moment she let her guard down.

THIEF.

Panic filled Ib like water flooding, and she tried to take a breath. Her throat seemed closed though, and she began breathing short, jagged breaths in an attempt to calm herself down, but she couldn't. Everything was spiraling and spinning. She heard a scream, but it wasn't aloud - it was her mind.

She was jolted back when she felt Kara giving her a small shake. "Ib, Ib, what happened? Please, please calm down!" Ib wanted to scream, to beg Mary to stop. She couldn't keep walking around, glancing over her shoulder for the rest of life. Why was she doing this? It had been so long... and officially, Mary was dead. Gone forever.

Kara was rooting about in the bags, finally extracting a paper bag that only had a loaf of bread in it. She stored the bread elsewhere and thrust the bag into Ib's hands. "Calm down, Ib! Deep breaths; take deep breaths," Kara instructed calmly, helping Ib told hold the paper bag and resume her normal breathing.

Though she seemed calm, Ib could feel a tinge of distress coming from Kara... it seemed almost familiar in a way. She decided not to focus on that as she gradually calmed down, and her eyes went to the sign. The writing was gone now, but it seemed firmly printed on the backs of Ib's eyelids. She was afraid to close her eyes.

Blinking a few times, Ib finally calmed down, able to breathe properly. She concentrated on herself as Kara pulled out her phone, quickly tapping in some numbers. Ib didn't listen as Kara spoke to someone, concerned, and placed her hand comfortingly on Ib's arm. A few seconds later, she held the phone out to Ib.

"It's Garry," she told her, and Ib took the phone, climbing out of the car so she could have a private conversation. Kara climbed over to the drivers seat so she could move the car to park somewhere safely and waited for Ib. Garry, meanwhile, sounded almost as panicked as Ib had been feeling.

"Ib? Are you alright? Kara told me what happened, what's wrong?" He was speaking so fast that Ib almost couldn't understand him, and she waited for him to speak in a rush, blurting out many questions and saying, "Oh dear, oh dear," over and over again before he finally took a breath. Ib took this as her chance to speak.

"Garry! Don't... don't worry yourself. I just... I thought I saw something and I got scared is all," Ib admitted slowly. Her body was beginning to shake again. Would Garry believe her if she told him what she had been seeing?

Garry was silent for a few moments. He coughed awkwardly. "If you feel comfortable talking about it... Ib, what do you think you saw?"

Ib was shaking so hard now she almost dropped the phone. Her hands felt sweaty. How could she explain this? Her mouth opened... but all that came out was a weak squeak.

"Ib?" Garry asked, alarmed, but Ib composed herself, putting the phone in her other hand so she could wipe her hand, and she said, "Garry... I think Mary's still around. I think she's following me, somehow. She keeps sending me cryptic messages... She keeps calling me a thief."


	5. Chapter 5 - Fear

**A/N: I just want to give a special thank you to Swirl Breeze! I was just chilling, playing the Last of Us when I saw you had reviewed and thank you so much for your kind words! This story has four reviews and just, thank you all! I really really appreciate it :) anyway, onto the story! Enjoy! :)**

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Ib hadn't slept in days. She would lie awake at night, shivering. She pleaded, begged, cried for the writing to leave her mind and her memory. Whenever she closed her eyes, the words seemed permanently carved into the back of her eyelids, and as Ib's exhibition approached, her nervousness grew. How was she going to deal with this?

At that moment in time, Ib felt very alone.

Her parents were currently away on a business trip, but they would be back in time for her exhibition. Kara was busy with work, though Ib knew she really had spooked the poor girl. Poor Kara... how she had managed to stay calm in that situation was beyond Ib. She was glad Kara had called Garry... He had gone to see Ib later that day with an armful of macaroons to make sure she was alright.

Days had passed since then. The exhibition drew nearer, causing Ib's nerves to go on the fritz. She worried day in and day out as she prepared her gallery and what she going to say. She knew she couldn't plan everything she was going to say, but she wanted to have some idea. Even though the rain didn't let up, Ib didn't cancel the exhibition. She had already to push the date back; she couldn't afford to cancel this.

The worst storm hit a week after the events in the career. Ib was still haunted by the word, but she didn't know how to be rid of them, and she didn't know why they were there. Ib was convinced Mary was still about... but how? Ib had watched Garry burn Mary's portrait, Ib had heard Mary's ear-piercing scream before she turned to ash.

Ib couldn't go outside. She didn't want to leave her apartment while this storm hit, so she remained curled up in her bed, surrounded by every blanket and pillow in the house. She shivered with fear whenever thunder boomed and lightning flashed... Ib really didn't like storms.

She lay underneath two doonas, trying to block out the sounds of the storm. If she ignored it, it would go away. Just like the word. It would go away... it would go away...

A loud ringing noise met Ib's ears, causing her to jump and scream in fear. She bit into a pillow, trying to muffle any further screams of fear. The ringing sounded again. Ib almost passed out when she recognised the sound; it was her doorbell. Ib whimpered; someone was at the door.

Shaking like a leaf, Ib climbed out of bed, wrapping one of the doonas tightly around body, and began shuffling out of her room and down the hallway. The bell rang again. She could see the outline of someone standing outside through the glass... who on earth was calling at this hour? She shuffled closer to the door, extracting a hand to reach out toward the door handle. Lightning lit up the room again, causing whoever was standing outside's shadow to cast on the door.

They looked quite short, with what looked like long hair. Ib gulped, fear tapping at her heart, before she turned the handle and slowly opened the door.

" _Iiiiiib,_ " a voice whispered, and Ib's eyes widened at the sight of the small girl standing on her doorstep, with familiar blonde hair and a green dress covered in paint stains. She was smiling widely, but Ib saw the palette knife in the girl's hand, dripping with red paint. " _Ib... Aren't you going to let me in? I thought we were friends..._ " Mary whispered, stepping a little closer. " _We were going to be together forever_..."

With a scream, Ib slammed the door shut, only for it to stop before it hit the frame. It would've banged really loudly, but Ib now stepped back from the door, standing on her doona and causing her to fall back. The doona fell, and she crawled away from the door. "No... _no!_ " she shrieked, pulling her knees up to her chest, closing her eyes and pressing her hands over her ears. "You're not real, _you're not real_!" Ib was shaking harder than ever.

A hand touched her shoulder, and Ib screamed. She lashed out, shoving Mary away, trying unsuccessfully to stop herself from crying. "Leave me alone," she sobbed, still not opening her eyes. "Just leave m-me alone!"

The hand was back, now shaking Ib, and a familiar was saying, "Ib! Ib! Calm down, it's just me! Calm down!"

Ib dared to peek through between her eyelids. Sitting in front of her with a positively alarmed expression was Garry. His light eyes searched her face with concern, and she managed to gasp, "Garry!", falling into his arms and pressing her head against his chest, allowing her crying to become louder. Garry quickly put his arms around her, resting his head on top of hers and whispering, "Shhh, shhh, I'm here now, Ib, you're alright. You're safe. I won't hurt you."

Garry was absolutely drenched, and Ib crying on him didn't help. He tugged the doona around them to keep them warm, and carefully reached out to close the door. For a long time, he and Ib didn't move. Ib felt very safe in Garry's arms; she had never been gladder that he was there.

The storm began to let up a little. Only then did Ib pull back, her face tear-stained, and she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "I-I'm sorry," she blubbered, fiddling with her hands. "I thought you were... I thought you were..."

She felt something touching her cheek. Looking up in surprise, she realised how close Garry was, and how his hand made her skin tingle. His thumb brushed over her cheek, wiping away another tear. He was smiling a little. "It's alright, Ib. You're safe now... You'll be alright. I'm here, ok?" Ib stared back at him, her crimson eyes blinking a few times, and slowly she nodded.

Garry's smiled widened, and he slowly began to draw his hand away. Ib didn't know what overtook her, but quickly she reached up, pressing Garry's hand against her cheek, not ready to stop feeling his touch. Garry's eyes widened and his eyebrows rose, but he stopped moving. Ib's eyes fell closed; she was happy to have this moment.

Ib wondered how long she could stay with Garry like this. She reveled in it... how he could lift her mood with only a few words, with only his mere presence.

She was shocked from her thoughts when Garry said, "You're exhausted, Ib. Let's get you into bed." He moved, removing his hand from her face. Ib craved his touch almost immediately, but let out a shriek when he swept her up into his arms, carrying her bridal style down her bedroom. Carefully, he laid her down on her bed.

"I'm gonna grab a towel and turn the heater on," he said, pulling a blanket up over Ib. "I should be back in a few minutes." With that, Garry was gone again.

Ib stayed snuggled up in bed, waiting patiently for Garry to get back. He took his time a little. She heard him mulling about, humming something to himself, and the sound of the kettle beginning to whistle drifted into Ib's room. She allowed herself to close her eyes. She did feel safe with Garry... just knowing he was there made everything a little easier.

Before she knew it, she was drifting off into a light sleep...

 _"Where are you going, Ib?" Mary asked, walking closer to Ib, the palette knife clutched tightly in her hand. She raised it to shoulder height. "I thought you and I would be together forever... Best friends... You're my friend, Ib..."_

 _Ib was shaking her head furiously, stepping back till her back hit the wall. She had nowhere to go, and she didn't know to fight. She couldn't scream; her voice seemed stuck in her throat._

 _Mary took a step closer as they heard the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. A voice yelled out, "IB!" and Garry came barreling out of nowhere, standing between Ib and Mary. He grabbed Mary's raised arms. "No!" he protested, keeping her at bay. "Stay away... STAY AWAY!"_

 _The blonde girl scoffed. "What the-... Garry, GET OFF!" She tried to simply push Garry out of the way, but Garry was much stronger, and with a cry he managed to shove Mary back so hard she fell, hitting her head on the floor. Her rose flew free, landing beside her, and the palette knife slid across the room to tap against the wall. Mary didn't move._

 _Garry was breathing harshly, adrenaline coursing through his veins like a fire licking along the edge of a newspaper. Behind him, Ib was shaking, her hands clutched to her chest. Garry turned to her. "Ib! Are you alright? Did she hurt you?"_

 _Ib looked up at the purple-haired man for a few seconds, still too afraid to say anything. Instead, she moved forward, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Garry didn't return the hug at first, slightly stunned, but he soon did, resting one of his hands on Ib's head. "It's alright, Ib... You're safe now. She can't hurt you. You're safe now." He lightly stroked her hair reassuringly. "You'll be alright... I'm here, ok?"_

Something moved, waking Ib. She rolled onto her back, blinking slowly to regain her vision, and looked to her right to see Garry sitting against the wall, a macaroon in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Noticing Ib was awake, he nodded to a steaming mug on her bedside table.

"You were only out for half an hour... I went to have a shower and reheated the kettle," he explained, gesturing to his wet, slightly darker purple hair, and Ib smiled gratefully, picking up the mug. It smelled so sweet and chocolately... Garry must've done what he believed was sneaky and tossed in a piece or two of chocolate.

The two drank their hot beverages in silence... Garry was focusing on his macaroon, but Ib focused on Garry. She watched as a single drop of water slid down his hair and splashed onto his shoulder. He didn't notice. He reached up to move his fringe out of his face to have a closer look at a speck on the macaroon, giving Ib a chance to look at both of his eyes for once. If only...

Suddenly, Garry looked up, looking at Ib with both eyes for a change. The very thing made Ib's entire body tingle, and she quickly diverted her eyes away, finishing her hot chocolate. She placed it carefully back on the bedside table. Garry had finished his drink also.

"Hey, Ib..." he started slowly, eating the macaroon whole and managing to devour it before speaking again. "Do you mind if I crash in here? Just give me a pillow and one of your blankets and I can sleep on the flo-"

" _NO_!" Ib squeaked, interrupting Garry, whose eyes widened. Clearing her throat, Ib shook her head. "I mean... I know this is weird, but... Can you sleep in my bed with me? It's just... earlier, I thought you were Mary. And I had a dream about Mary. I'm... I'm scared, Garry."

Garry nodded immediately. Ib moved over so Garry could climb in next to her. The two lay side by side, just gazing at each for a while. Finally, Ib felt Garry take her hand.

"You never have to be scared when I'm around, Ib," Garry said softly, smiling slightly. "I promise. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it." The doona moved; Ib saw Garry's other hand, and it rested lightly on her cheek. She closed her eyes, reveling in the touch.

Garry spoke again. "I'm here whenever you need me."


	6. Chapter 6 - About Mary

**A/N: I am terrible with updating this story... It does happen, it just takes forever coz you know, life and motivation xD anyway, enjoy! this chapter is a little longer than the others :)**

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Ib rushed about nervously, trying to calm the nervous, frantic beating of her heart. She had to make sure all the exhibitions were fine, that all the paintings were hanging straight and the statues had been dusted properly. Nothing seemed to work; no amount of controlled breathing could calm Ib down.

Next to the refreshment table stood Kara, munching on a cupcake as she watched Ib rush about. Dusting a bit of frosting off the side of her mouth, Kara called, "Hey, Ib! It's gonna be alright… You're gonna blow away the critics, you know." She took another bite of her cupcake.

Stopping near a painting of red and blue roses intertwined, Ib came to a halt, studying the painting as she pondered Kara's words. She desperately wished she could believe them, but she was too nervous. How she wanted a macaroon… Maybe she would text Garry and ask him to buy some on his way over.

As she thought this, she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket, and quickly pulled it out to find a text from Garry. Her spirits lifted ever so slightly until she read the message; Garry wasn't going to be there when the doors opened, and would be later than he intended. Ib began to shake more; how would she get through this without Garry there? He was always a constant, always someone who could calm her down ever since…

 _THIEF_.

Ib quickly shook her head as memories of Mary's torment came to her, and she quickly refocused her, pocketing her phone and setting herself busy once again. Kara shook her head as Ib became more frantic, and glanced toward the doors to see Ib's parents standing outside, smiling and waving.

"Ib!" Kara called, scaring Ib again. "Your parents are here." Ib turned away from the painting she had been straightening to see her beaming, proud parents, and quickly rushed to the doors, flinging them open and hugging them both tightly.

"I thought you were gonna wait until the critics got here," Ib said, a little confused as she released them, and Ib's Dad smiled kindly.

"Well, that was the original plan, but we thought we'd get here early have a look before anyone else got here," he explained, and Ib's Mum hugged her again, smoothing Ib's hair down.

"You look beautiful, dear," she told her, pulling back and brushing down Ib's sleeves. "You're going to show those critics who's the best!" she declared, and Ib found herself blushing, her cheeks turning a pretty pink colour below her crimson eyes.

"Muuuum… I just tidied up a little. At least I'm not wearing an apron," Ib weakly protested, and her parents laughed at her attempt to deny, and they began to walk past her.

"We'll help where we can," her Dad promised, and Ib nodded, holding her cheeks and taking a few deep breaths. Her parents being there made her calm down a little, but really she was hoping for Garry to show up. She had wanted to show him around before everyone else arrived, but that wasn't going to happen.

A car pulled into the carpark outside. A group of university students around Ib's age got out, all laughing and joking around, and Ib quickly closed the doors so they didn't get in early. She had to wait for the critics to arrive before opening the doors to the public, and she sincerely hoped Garry would turned up before the place got too packed.

It was a rather flighty wish. More and more people were showing up, and Kara joined Ib near the door. She took both of Ib's hands, squeezing them gently, and said reassuringly, "You're gonna do fine, ib. I promise you. I'm here if you need me, alright?"

Ib's crimson eyes met Kara's purple ones, and she nodded slowly. She gave Kara a quick hug of thanks as two women and a man approached the doors, wearing business suits and looking like they were superior to all those standing outside.

Many looked like art gurus or people who frequented museums, though there was the odd group of university students here and there. Ib gave the carpark one desperate last look, but no familiar purple-haired man came running, a bag of macaroons in one hand. With a sigh, Ib approached the doors, throwing them open.

"Welcome," she said brightly, trying to disguise the shiver in her voice as the critics stepped in. "Everything is ready, and I hope all of my work is to your liking."

One of the women looked incredibly unhappy just being there, but the other woman and the man smiled. "Thank you, Miss Ib. What have you got to show us first?" The man held a clipboard in one hand.

As Ib led them toward the first exhibit, she shot a glance to Kara, who immediately understood what Ib was saying and went to the doors, quickly shutting them and shaking her head at the two young students shaking their fists at her.

With cheery smiles and a thumbs up from her parents, Ib took a deep breath, and began her many practiced speeches.

By the time the critics had seen most of the exhibits, the gallery was in full swing. Kara and Ib's parents were helping people find various pieces, and Ib's Dad was even acting as tour guide to several different groups. Ib's Mum took care of the catering whenever they ran out of food or drink.

As far as Ib could tell, the critics thoroughly enjoyed much of her work. Even the unpleasant-looking lady had said Ib was a talented young lady, which had made Ib flush red once again. The other two had nodded in agreement, and Ib felt as though she would faint.

As they approached her last painting, one of her crowning achievements, Ib cast a glance into the crowd. She couldn't see very far, since she was a little on the short side, but even so she couldn't see a familiar purple-haired man standing anywhere with a familiar cigarette in hand. Her phone had vibrated at all while she was with the critics, so it only made Ib wonder where Garry was.

Hopefully he was alright…

"So, Miss Ib, tell us about this one?" the male critic asked, gesturing to her painting titled 'Mary'. Ib snapped back to attention, glancing at the painting. It was one of the largest there. Yellow roses appeared to dance and glide along the side, and in the centre stood a girl who looked about ten, wearing a green dress. She had blonde hair, and her large blue eyes were happy as she smiled. Ib felt a twinge of sadness, but hid it well.

"Ah… When I was much younger, my parents took me a Weiss Guertena exhibition. You could say he is a large influence," Ib admitted, only for one of the women to click her fingers.

"I knew those silhouetted women seemed familiar! The art style… Influenced by Weiss Guertena himself! Not many young people even know who he is," she said matter-of-factly, and she nodded for Ib to continue, admiring the painting.

Ib's mouth felt rather dry. The memories of the gallery all those years ago were threatening to burst into her mind, to overcome her and render her helpless… She managed to push them back, using her speech as an excuse not to think about it.

"Yes, well… There was a rumour that he had a piece called 'Mary', but it was a piece no one ever saw. I was intrigued with the idea of it, and tried my rendition of it. Really…" Ib looked at the plaque that bore the name 'Mary', as well as Ib's name and the year she painted it. "It should be called 'Guertena's Mary'."

The critics murmured amongst themselves, looking a little sceptical of Ib's story, and she felt her breath quickening.

 _THIEF!_

Memories were rushing upon her. A rose in a vase, an ant, arms flying out from under walls, a breath, a book depicting a girl eating a coin, finding a young man lying on the ground too weak to move and covered in wounds…

No sooner had Ib thought that believed she would pass out when she felt a hand in her. A larger, warm comforting hand enveloping hers, causing the memories to draw back like darkness exposed to light, and she found she could breathe easier.

Looking up, relief washed over like she was sinking into a warm bath, and while the critics were occupied amongst themselves, Ib rushed at Garry, wrapping her arms around him under his ragged old coat. Garry didn't even hesitate with hugging her back, resting his chin on her head.

"Garry," Ib said, loud enough for only him to hear. "I'm so glad you're here. I couldn't… I don't know why… Mary…" She closed her eyes, taking in Garry's familiar scent, and he gently ran his hand through her hair soothingly.

Ib felt his head move, and she knew he was looking at the Mary portrait. "Ib… I know you're scared, but you're safe now. Mary can't hurt you here." He pulled back so he could look at Ib, smiling slightly. "I promised I would keep you safe. You don't need to worry about her anymore. I promise."

Blinking, Ib nodded slowly. Her nerves were easing gradually, and Garry leaned down so he could press a soft kiss to Ib's forehead. "I'll be here. You need to talk to them," he said softly, nodding at the critics, and Ib sighed, remembering that they were there.

"Alright," she whispered, releasing Garry, and turned to the critics. Garry stood behind her, admiring the work beside Mary, but still held onto Ib's hand. It was comforting that he was there – Ib felt her confidence grow.

"Miss Ib, we are deeply impressed with this exhibition," one of the women said, smiling brightly at Ib. "Our only complaint is that we wish you had more! You are certainly a talented young lady. We hope that you will continue your work."

Ib beamed. "Wow… Your words mean so much! I really appreciate this, thank you!"

The woman nodded, accepting a piece of paper from the man and handing it to Ib.

"We'd like you to attend this interview next month. Two other aspiring artists will be there. We hope you will make it! The interview will be conducted by several magazines and selected newspaper!"

Ib's grip on Garry's hand tightened, and she couldn't stop smiling. When the critics farewelled her and walked a good distance away, Ib gave a shriek of excitement, which wasn't something she would normally do, and turned to Garry. In her excitement, she jumped up to hug him, wrapping her arms around his neck and laughing joyfully. In turn, Garry wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her around, setting her down after one spin.

Ib was smiling widely – Garry hadn't seen her this happy in a long time. He spotted Kara and Ib's parents, and quickly waved them over. They all rushed over to see Ib's happiness, and she told them in one breath what had happened. Kara gave her own shriek of excitement while Ib's parents just beamed with pride, watching as Kara embraced their daughter tightly.

They stood about talking for a few moments before curious visitors approached them, and they all went off in separate directions to help various guests. Several times, well into the evening, Ib shot Garry glances, and when he looked at her she would smile, and he would return. Ib was certain nothing would dampen her good mood.

And as the evening drew to a close and the last guests walked out the door, any thoughts of the gallery that haunted Ib and Garry all those years did not plague Ib's thoughts. When the gallery was empty and the lights had been turned off, Ib's parents took them to a nearby restaurant, where they celebrated Ib's newfound fame.

Garry offered to take Ib home afterward. They walked along in the dark, stopping at an all-night café to buy some macaroons, and they just talked about everything and nothing, enjoying the others company. Ib felt the time with Garry had been too short when they finally reached her doorstep.

The bag of macaroons was empty when Ib unlocked her front door and pushed it open, turning to Garry. His hair appeared slightly bluish in the moonlight, and Ib had to stop herself from staring at him. "Thanks for walking me home, Garry," she said softly, and she leaned forward to kiss his cheek.

Garry jerked suddenly, his head turning, and Ib accidentally kissed his lips. This surprised them both, and Ib quickly stepped back, heat rushing to her cheeks. She almost wanted the ground to open up and swallow her, but she just gulped nervously, whispering, "I'm sorry."

She turned quickly, ready to run into her apartment, but she felt a hand grasp her wrist, and she turned back, surprised again. Garry's hand was holding her, and he had an odd look in her eyes. She noticed he was shaking slightly, and his mouth opened a little.

"Wait, Ib… Do… Do that again," he whispered.

Ib froze, staring at him in disbelief. He spoke again.

"Will… will you kiss me, Ib? I won't kiss you unless you want to. I just… I don't know…" Garry was stuttering now, sounding more nervous than Ib felt, and Ib knew she had to say no, to turn away and walk into her apartment and leave Garry there.

She did none of those things.

Since Garry was at the bottom of the steps, just was standing a little taller than him, and she whispered, "Ok," before pulling herself from his grip, putting her hands on either side of his face and gently pressing her lips against his.

It was everything Ib dreamed it would be. Kissing Garry… Finally allowing these funny feelings to just come out like a sudden storm. She remembered when she turned thirteen, and understood what crushed truly were. She never had crushes on anyone in her school… just one person outside of her school, someone who was almost ten years older than her.

Someone who she was now kissing, feeling his skin beneath hers, feeling his hands on her hips and pulling her closer before they moved up, trailing through her hair before he gently cupped her cheeks. Ib's hands moved down to hold Garry's wrists, holding onto them like her life depended on it.

She had no idea how long they were there for, but again, the time felt too short when Garry finally pulled away. For a few moments, the two just stared at each other. Ib didn't know what to say, and she was jolted back to reality when Garry's eyes went wide. He released Ib, stepping back and running his hand through his hair.

"No… No, I shouldn't have done that," he mumbled, continuing to move away from Ib. "I shouldn't have…"

"Garry?" Ib interrupted, and he looked up at her eyes, his eyes still wide. Again, he shook his head.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry, Ib, I have to go!" With that, he turned and walked away briskly, turning on the footpath and walking off into the darkness before Ib could protest.

Ib was left standing on her front porch, more confused than ever before.


	7. Chapter 7 - Who Is Your Inspiration?

**A/N: this chapter is a little fast-paced, but that's the intent. Ib's mind is racing; I hope yours does too xD enjoy!**

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The town where the conference was being held was a good few hours away, so Ib left early in the morning with Garry and Kara to get there in Kara's car. Since Ib's parents couldn't make it, her two closest friends were coming along for moral support.

Garry hadn't mentioned the night of the gallery at all to Ib – rather, he pretended it had never happened. Ib was too afraid to mention it, worried she had simply imagined the entire ordeal. Garry was her closest friend, the only person to know what horrors they went through when they were younger… She didn't know how to deal with that alone.

She knew they were going to ask her about her inspiration – Weiss Guertena. He was an incredible artist, but the horrors within his gallery… Ib wondered if Guertena himself knew of what his works had become. What they had turned into.

The Lady in Red was a particularly frightening memory.

Garry was sitting in the front passenger's seat, staring out the window, while Ib sat in the backseat, nervously dozing on and off the whole way. She couldn't stop herself from dreaming about the gallery – of finding Garry so injured, the mannequins that seemed to chase her about, the creepy mannequins, Mary stabbing a mannequin head with a pallet knife…

 _Ib headed toward the room that was entirely in black and white, only to release Mary wasn't following. She turned back to the blonde-haired girl, a little confused, and saw Mary's eyes were wide open, almost manically, and her mouth was slowly spreading into a large, insane smile. It was incredibly unsettling, sending a chill down Ib's spine._

 _She was hesitant to approach Mary, but she tiptoed her way over. Mary began to shake violently. Ib reached out slowly, touching Mary's arm, and whispered, "Mary… are you alright? What's the matter?"_

 _Ib jumped back when Mary's head snapped in her direction, those large eyes boring into Ib's crimson ones. "He knows," Mary said simply, before letting out a shrill laugh. "I am Maaary, I am Maaary, I am Maaary… He KNOWS!" Her voice rose to a shrill, unsettling scream, and she pushed Ib away, knocking the younger girl to the floor._

 _She ran to the door they had arrived through and slammed it shut behind her. Ib stayed when she had fallen for a few moments, collecting herself from Mary's sudden outburst. Each minute seemed longer than the last, and finally, Ib managed to wobble to her feet._

 _Mary's sudden aggression worried her. Ib approached the door, hearing a strange noise on the other side. She also could swear that she heard whispers all about her, warning her to not open the door. Ib ignored them, worried for Mary, and pushed open the door._

 _Only one light was on in the hallway, and it was directly above Mary. She was kneeling on the floor, her arm swinging wildly, and she was mumbling to her. Ib could she was shaking by the way Mary's blonde hair moved, and she tentatively stepped forward._

 _As she got closer to Mary, she could hear Mary uttering one phrase over and over again; "In my way, in my way, in my way…" A strange noise accompanied each end of sentence, and when Ib was standing only a few steps from Mary, she realised red paint was splattered on the walls around Mary, and on Mary's dress and in her hair._

 _Peeking around Mary, Ib saw she was still holding the palette knife, and was viciously stabbing a mannequin head that stopped Mary from going any further. He looked particularly woeful now, and Ib couldn't stop herself from letting out a gasp._

 _Mary froze. Ib took a step away. She debated whether to run, or to help Mary, but she was too frightened to make a quick decision. How she wished Garry was there._

 _As she was about to turn and run, Mary turned, her eyes wider than before, and she screamed, "IN MY WAY!"_

Ib jumped awake when Mary screamed at her to discover it was Kara yelling, "Get out of the way! You're in my way, oh my god, we're in a hurry!" She shook her fist at the car in front of them.

"Kara, calm down," Garry was saying as Ib sat up, rubbing her eyes. That had been rather scary… almost as scary as when she was actually there. Now, though, she was safe in Kara's car with her two best friends, who were now arguing about the traffic outside.

Ib glanced out the window, noticing it was raining quite heavily now. She wondered when it would let up, but thankfully the interview would be inside. She wondered who the other two artists were… that probably wouldn't matter. She just wanted to be interviewed then head home.

Sleep was continuing to evade her. Ib was afraid to sleep most nights, afraid to face her memories, to see that word written in red… She hadn't seen it for a while, but she didn't want to risk anything.

Kara was finally able to drive on, and they arrived at the hall where the interview would be held. It wouldn't be an interview so much as a panel, Ib had discovered. Many young aspiring artists were coming along to ask questions, and people from various newspaper and magazines would be there.

Ib had secured seats in the front row for Garry and Kara, who both her a hug when they stepped inside. "You're gonna blow everyone away, Ib," Kara declared, and Garry nodded his agreement. "We'll meet you inside," Kara added, nodding at Ib, and began to walk off.

That was when the nerves began to make Ib shiver. She nodded slowly in return, and was about to head into the hall when Garry stopped her.

"Wait, Ib… I have something for you," he said lowly, reaching into his pocket and pulling something out. He held it out, flat in his palm. Ib looked down at his hand, surprised, and saw that he was holding a lemon candy in his hand – one of her favourites.

Her eyes went slightly wide. Her hand shook slightly as she took it, and when her fingers touched it, Garry's hand closed, and he held her hand tightly. He smiled a little. "You'll do amazingly, Ib. We'll get macaroons afterward, ok? I promise," he swore, pushing the sweet into her hand and striding off into the hall.

Ib stood there for a few moments, still surprised, holding the sweet against her chest. He remembered… Of course he did. This candy had been a source of comfort in a dark time, and now… She was just nervous, but it helped. Ib decided to save the sweet until after the panel, pocketing the sweet, and moved to a door saying _authorised only_.

She sat for five minutes, twisting her hands about nervously until she heard them call out her name. Crimson eyes blinking, Ib stood, and walked out into the hall to begin the panel.

The panel went for an hour, but Ib swore it went for even longer than that. At some point, she saw Kara whisper something to Garry and head out. Ib nearly wanted to join her, taking a sip of water, until she saw Garry flash her a smile and a thumbs up.

Ib's attention turned back to the panel when someone from the audience asked, "Who are your biggest inspirations?" The two before Ib spoke, both taking their sweet time and illiciting a few laughs from the audience. Ib already knew her answer, but paid hardly anything attention, simply fiddling with her glass of water.

She turned the glass around, over and over, and when the guy beside her was nearly finished, she stopped, staring at her glass. She couldn't stop her eyes from going wide, seeing what was written on it, and lifted the glass only to pretend it slipping from her hand, when in reality she let it slip.

Written on the outside of the glass, sliding down with the condensation, was the word _THIEF_ written in bright red letters. Around her, people yelled, and the guy beside her leapt to his feet, but Ib didn't care. She muttered, "sorry," over and over again, explaining it was an accident, but she had been spooked.

When it came for Ib to answer the question, she tried to answer clearly. "Weiss Guertena," she began, and her voice shook. A memory came at her like a battering ram, as clear as the day she experienced it.

 _She picked up the pretty blue key, gazing at its elegant design._

"I went to one of his gallery's when I was a kid… My mother is a huge fan of his work," Ib explained, feeling her hands began to shake. She placed them in her lap so no one would see them, but she saw Garry give her a curious look.

 _The painting above her, a painting of a woman, suddenly opened its eyes, its tongue sticking out as she looked to the side. Ib looked at the wall, but there was nothing there._

Ib tried taking a breath to calm herself down. "I thoroughly enjoyed the gallery, and it inspired and motivated me to start drawing on my own… I wasn't very good at first." There was a small amount of laughter from the crowd.

 _Ib left the room, hearing a whisper as she went. The whisper seemed right in her ear, and shook her to her core: "THIEF."_

Ib casted her eyes downward. "But as time went on, I got better and better, and I started branching out and exploring other forms of art."

 _"_ _THIEF!" the voice suddenly shouted, and Ib saw red writing along the walls. Stepping closer, she saw it read the word being whispered._

Ib clasped her hands to lessen the shaking. "Guertena showed me it's not a bad thing to have a few weird creations here and there.

 _"_ _THIEF!" the voice was screaming, and the word was now written on the floor. "THIEF! THIEF! THIEF!" Ib tried covering her ears._

"After all, Mary was said to be a work of Guertena's that no one ever saw, so I painted my own rendition of her."

 _"_ _THIEF!"_

Ib was now shaking violently. People, among them Garry, were beginning to look concerned.

 _"_ _THIEF!"_

Ib wanted to cry. Instead, she stood up, saying, "I'm sorry, I'll be back in a moment." Without looking back, she fled from the hall, blinking back tears that threatened to spill over.

 _"_ _THIEF!"_

It was all too much. Ib ran outside, finding a wall to sit against and breathe deeply. She didn't want to become a mess where everyone could see her.

 _"_ _THIEF!"_

Ib rested her head on her knees, which were pulled up to her chest. "Stop, stop, stop!" she begged. The shouting stopped. Instead, a singsong voice began to chant, and that frightened Ib even more.

 _"_ _I am Maaarrry, I am Maaarrry, I am Maaarrry…"_

Ib couldn't hold it in any longer. She pulled her knees tighter against herself and began to cry.

* * *

Garry refused to leave Ib alone that night, insisting that she stay at his place for the night. He set up a place for her on the couch, and made her some tea and soup for dinner. She was grateful for his actions, but couldn't help feeling terrible for what had transpired.

Eventually, Ib had managed to compose herself and finish the panel, but Garry noticed her distress and got Kara to go back to the hall and get them. He wanted to make sure Ib would be alright. Kara wanted to stay as well but she had a late shift that night and couldn't come along.

Now, Ib sat on Garry's couch as he flicked through the channels, trying to find something interesting to watch. Ib kept herself distracted, paying attention to the tv, but she couldn't stop the little voice in her head telling her how close Garry was sitting. He was sitting beside her, his arm stretched along the back of the couch behind her and the tv remote in his left hand.

He didn't seem to notice, but Ib's nerves seemed to be on a high tonight. The room was lit only by the tv, and she busied herself with her soup.

"Ib!" Garry suddenly said, and Ib looked up at the tv. To her horror, her panel was showing, but it was just a playback. Ib stared almost blankly, not wanting to believe that she looked so distant during the panel, but she did, and she could do nothing to go back and change it.

When they asked the inspiration question, Ib whispered, "Turn it off, Garry."

"What?" Garry asked, looking at her. His face was half-shadow, and Ib stared at him, silently begging him to turn off the tv. He seemed to understand, as he turned off the tv and tossed the remote to the floor. Now the only light shone in weakly from the hallway light, and the two sat in silence.

"Thank you," Ib whispered after what felt like years of silence. She didn't know what came over her, but she moved, leaning over to kiss Garry's cheek. As she kissed it, he turned his head, and she narrowly missed his lips. Now only centimetres away, the two continued to stare at each other.

Ib couldn't stop her mind from wandering to that night on the porch, the way Garry had asked her to…

"Well," Garry whispered, still not moving. "I think I should… I should go to bed."

Ib knew it was now or never. Garry was never going to mention that night, and if she didn't do something now she was going to regret.

"I have a better idea," she said quickly, stopping Garry and she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. For a few seconds neither of them moved, though Garry didn't hesitate to kiss her back. They pulled away from each other, staring, and Garry put his hand on the back of Ib's head and pulled her back toward him, kissing her harder.

Ib tilted her head up to gain more access, almost melting beneath him. She had very little thoughts now; she only worried whether or not he was alright.

He seemed to be, as Garry made no protest, so Ib became more bold, trailing her hands up into his hair and tugging him closer. She moved back, and Garry's free hand moved to her back, lowering her gently as he moved up onto his knees beside her on his tiny couch, leaning over to continue kissing her.

Ib hadn't felt this safe in a long time, but she also hadn't felt this alive in a long time. She was basking in her happiness, gently caressing his hair, and Garry moved his hand to her cheek, gently stroking his thumb across the skin there.

Minutes melded together, words muddled about, and Garry finally pulled away to take a deep breath, staring down at Ib. "Are you alright?" he whispered, still stroking Ib's cheek, and Ib nodded. "Never better," she whispered back, and pulled him down to kiss him some more.


	8. Chapter 8 - He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

**A/N: This story will be put on hold for a week because I'm travelling tomorrow! I'll reveal where maybe next week xD anyway, enjoy chapter eight!**

* * *

Ib was glad when a week went by, making the time between her and the panel further away. The panel was not something she wished to remember, but unfortunately it suck; she didn't want to forget that night. Nothing much had happened after she kissed Garry. They had just remained on the couch, enjoying one another's company, talking about everything and nothing, and kissing every now and then. Garry had retreated to his room well after midnight, wishing Ib a good night. Ib had settled down under her blanket, an unusually bright grin on her face. Ib wasn't one to dwell on such things.

But Garry always had that effect. Even when she was a child of only nine... Garry was nearly twenty when she first met him, and Ib knew full well what a crush was. Garry had come barrelling in, saving her from the angry Mary's actions, and had made sure Ib was alright. He had looked after her in that place, even when they were separated he had worried... Ib had only been a child, but she knew how she felt about Garry. It was like having a crush on a friend's older brother, except worse; Garry was Ib's best friend, despite the age difference.

Ib's parents never understood the friendship. They had been naturally sceptical of Garry at first, but when they needed someone to keep an eye on Ib for a night, Garry had offered, and they were pleasantly surprised. They said Garry had brought Ib out of her shell; she had been a very serious child. For many years, they had believed her to be mute, since she rarely ever spoke, but when Garry came along... Ib's parents loved her no matter how she was, but they were glad at her becoming confident.

And now, years later, Ib was well above the legal age limit. Garry was now past thirty, but you would never know he was. He still looked to be in his mid-twenties. The fact that he had always struggled to hold down a job and couldn't quite beat his smoking addiction, he just appeared younger. Ib's Dad said it was odd the smoking didn't make Garry look older, but Garry managed to hold his own well. He still had his apartment, but he didn't have a car.

And Ib was lying awake in his loungeroom, almost giggling like a school girl. The pretty childhood crush on Garry had turned into this - it had blossomed and matured along with Ib.

She fell asleep on Garry's couch, that smile still on her face.

 _Ib opened the door cautiously, peeking down the corridor. She didn't know what to expect after the Lady in Red, and now she kept her eyes open. Where was everybody?_

 _As she looked, she heard a noise. Ib kept quiet, holding the doorknob so tight her knuckles went white, before she finally pushed the door open and dared a peek again. To her surprise, she saw someone lying on the floor, stretched out. They weren't moving. Fear gripped at Ib; she threw the door open, running down the hallway to the figure._

 _It was a man, maybe eighteen-years-old, with purple hair and a long, tattered coat. He had a key clutched in one hand. Ib knelt beside him cautiously, not wanting him to jump up and attack her. Instead, he just groaned in pain, and Ib noticed how battered he was. He was definitely looking worse for wear, and he clutched the key tighter. Ib looked toward the end of the hall behind the man, seeing an open doorway. The key didn't go there..._

 _It had to go to that door back where she came through, near the painting titled 'Eternal Blessing'. Ib carefully took the key from the man's grip, to which he didn't protest, and Ib quietly walked back to the other door. It was unlocked, and she walked in to see a relatively empty room with another door. She was about to investigate the door when she saw something glinting on the floor nearby._

 _Ib's heart almost stopped as she took a closer look; it was blood. Did it belong to the purple-haired man? Weirdly enough, blue flower petals were scattered here and there, and Ib picked on up between her fingers, softly examining the feel. It was similar to that of the petals on her rose... Did that man had a rose also? Ib gripped the petal, taking the key out and unlocking the other door._

 _It swung open. Ib held her rose and the blue petal to her chest, tentatively stepping into the room. It was semi-dark, and Ib had a hard time letting her eyes adjust to the dimness. As she waited for her eyes, she heard a whisper, different to the one she had heard earlier. Ib held her breath, trying to decipher what was being said._

 _"He loves me, he loves me not... He loves me, he loves me not... He loves me, he loves me not..."_

 _The whispering came from within the room. Though her eyes still hadn't adjusted, Ib moved through the room, holding her rose and the petal against her chest in one hand while using the other to feel along the wall. She followed the whispering, which just said the same thing over and over again. It sent an unpleasant shiver up Ib's spine._

 _The wall suddenly turned, and Ib gripped the corner, taking a deep breath before peeking around the corner._

 _A woman sat on the floor, similar to the Lady in Red - only this woman was blue. She was picking petals off a blue rose, whispering "He loves me, he loves me not,". Ib couldn't hide her gasp, alerting the Lady in Blue, who looked up quickly. She blinked once, seeing Ib in the darkness, and let out an inhuman growl, and began dragging herself across the floor toward Ib. Ib couldn't stop herself; she screamed, holding the rose tighter than ever, and ran from the room, slamming the door shut behind her._

Ib jumped awake from her dream, drenched in a cold sweat, and clasped her hand to her chest, trying to calm herself. That dream had frightened her... or rather, that _memory_ had frightened her. The memory... how she had met Garry. The Lady in Blue... she was weirdly infatuated with him, and Ib had read in a book that the Lady in Blue would have followed Garry everywhere, to the ends of the earth if she had to. Only she couldn't open doors, which stopped her in her tracks.

Thank goodness... Ib didn't want Garry to constantly be looking over his shoulder his entire life.

But the blue rose... The petals scattered everywhere...

Ib looked at Garry's clock. It read five o'clock in the morning, but Ib's mind was racing. She had to go home straight away, there was no time to waste! Quickly, she tossed the blanket back and rushed about the room, throwing on her jacket over her shirt and tugging on her shoes, not even bothering to put on proper pants. She quietly tiptoed to Garry's door, opening it a crack.

Garry lay sprawled out on his bed, one of his arms under his pillow. He was sleeping soundly, and Ib felt bad but she wanted to let him know she was leaving rather than just leave, especially after last night.

She tiptoed to Garry, giving him a light shake. "Garry... Garry!" she hissed, successfully waking him the second time she called his name out.

Garry groaned, not even moving as he opened one eye at her. Ib smiled at him, whispering, "Garry, I have to go home, I had an idea. Come and see me later, alright?" Garry's eye just blinked back before he slowly nodded, and he yawned. Ib grinned, whispering, "Goodbye," as she slipped out of the room, leaving Garry to sleep. She made sure the front door was locked behind her before she headed home, running occasionally through the dark streets.

Her unit was chilly when she arrived, but she just took off her jacket and tossed it onto the couch. Only when she took it off did Ib realise the jacket wasn't even hers; it was Garry's rather ragged one, his favourite. Ib made a mental note to return it to him later before going to her room and rooting about for a cardigan and her apron, quickly putting them on. She switched on lights as she went, even turning the kettle on at one point, before finally stepping into her studio.

Ib tightened her apron, opening one of the cupboards and pulling out tubes of paint. She selected some of her finer brushes as well as a larger one, and took out a clean, large canvas, putting it on her easel. The kettle clicked, and she flew back to the kitchen to make some tea. Once the tea was ready, Ib stepped back into her studio, making sure everything was set before finally picking up a brush.

Her tongue sticking out slightly between her lips, Ib dipped the brush into the first colour and began to paint. The image was so clear in her mind, and she worked, getting paint in her hair and on her face. She already knew what frame she wanted on this picture, and she wiped her forehead, smudging blue paint over her skin. She didn't notice when the sun rose and the sounds of traffic beginning to go by. Ib was so absorbed in her work that she didn't even register the time, and was well into the afternoon before she stepped back to admire her work.

She had achieved quite a lot in eleven hours. With barely a break, Ib had somehow achieved the vision in mind, and she set her paintbrush down. She used her finger to fix a few things here and there, but other than that she knew what she was going for, and had achieved it on this day.

She was alerted to the outside world by someone knocking on the front door, and Ib jumped. Checking the time, she saw it was afternoon and either Garry or Kara had come to visit her. Ib wiped her hands on her apron, taking it off and heading to the front door. Throwing it open, she saw Garry standing there looking a little chilly wearing only a tank top and jeans, and Ib gasped. "Garry! I'm so sorry, I grabbed your jacket instead of mine! Here..." Letting Garry in, Ib closed the door and grabbed Garry's jacket off the couch, handing it to him.

Garry slowly put on his jacket, taking in Ib's appearance. "Ib, what on earth? Why are you covered in so much paint?" he asked, and Ib's went wide. She touched her face gently, feeling dried paint on her cheek, and she shook her head. "Uh... Sorry, I didn't realise what time it was. I had an idea, and I didn't really want to stop in case I forgot it..." Ib stopped when Garry held his hand up, silencing her, and he reached out.

It was slow, like he was testing the waters, but he kept going. Ib's heart shook; she was frozen to the spot as Garry's hand touched her cheek, gently moving so he could move his thumb over the paint. He smiled, shaking his head. "It's alright, Ib... I just would like to see this idea, if you will let me." He moved his hand away, and Ib quickly grabbed it, still wanting to feel his touch.

She was shaking now. Ib nodded, leading Garry away from her front door and into her studio. Garry followed willingly, stepping into her now messy studio, and he stopped when he saw the canvas, which was now entirely painted. Ib stood nervously beside him, asking, "What do you think?"

A few moments passed, and Garry slowly nodded. "Yeah," he whispered, stepping closer to the painting of him asleep amongst blue roses, swirling around him. Petals fell around him, and Garry asked, "Ib, what do you call this piece?"

Ib tried hard not to blush. "Well... It's called 'He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not.'."

Ib barely finished her sentence when she felt Garry's lips against hers, and her eyes fell closed. Those words repeated in her mind, and she couldn't help wonder...

 _He loves me, he loves me not?_


	9. Chapter 9 - Exhibition Ruined

**A/N: Hey all, I'm so terribly sorry for the wait. I have no excuses other than life and not bothering. Anyway, I hope to update more soon! Thank you all so much for being patient xx enjoy the fluffy goodness coz let's be real, it's half actual plot and just half fluff now xD**

 **I also hope you all like the new cover! Lemme know if yall prefer the old one or this one :)**

* * *

 _Garry shuddered as he gazed up at the huge painting above them. It was titled 'Separation'. "I don't really like this one, Ib… Too strange. We should go," he said, taking Ib's hand again, and the two were about to leave when the lights suddenly went out._

 _Beside Ib, Garry screamed, and his hand tightened on hers. She stepped closer to him, holding tightly to his hand, and leaning her head against his side, closing her eyes tightly. Ib kept her free hand close to her body – she didn't want anything grabbing it and dragging her off into the darkness._

 _Garry was breathing harshly. "Hang on," he whispered between gasps, and Ib could feel him moving about. "I have… a lighter…" Ib heard the clicking of a lighter, and on the third try the flame sparked to life. Garry sighed in relief, looking up._

 _Ib almost jumped out of her skin when he screamed again, this time almost dropping the lighter. Ib jumped violently, looking up also, and her mouth fell open in horror at all the writing around the room. Each sentence was in a different colour, and looked as though they'd been written in… crayon? A very large, messy crayon._

 _Garry released Ib's hand for a moment to massage his chest, a bead of sweat dripping down his temple. "This really isn't good for my mental health," he mumbled, taking Ib's hand again. "Come on, Ib… Let's not stay here any longer."_

 _As Garry led her to the door, Ib dared to take a peek back… only to swear she could hear someone giggling, and a voice singing, "La la la-la" over and over again…_

Ib's eyes clicked open. The sound of Mary's singing seemed to be ringing in her ears, and she quickly sat up, rubbing her eyes. She kept her eyes covered for a moment, wondering why all these dreams of the gallery were suddenly returning. Both she and Garry had dreamt of the gallery after returning, but it had only lasted a few years.

Now though… Ib quickly shook her head. She was fine. She would get over this. Taking her arm away, Ib went to the bathroom to shower. She couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness that followed her as she went.

She took her time getting ready, as it was only eight and the gallery didn't open until eleven. Kara was going to pick her up, and Garry was going to meet them there. It was the last day of the exhibition, two weeks after it opened, and Ib was rather tired. She really wanted to go on holiday, the idea going through her mind as she brushed her hair.

Sneakily, Garry slid into her thoughts, and in the mirror she saw her cheeks go pink. That last kiss… It remained fresh in her mind even though it had been a few days ago. Kara still didn't know, but Ib also didn't know what to tell her… At this stage, she didn't even know what she and Garry were anymore.

She put the hairbrush on the bathroom counter, letting out a low sigh. She ran her hand over her hair, being careful not to mess it up, and looked up into her own crimson eyes. She had to stay strong, to not let Garry distract her… Yet all Ib wanted to do was run and dive into bed, hiding under the covers and hugging her pillow as she giggled like a teenage girl.

Garry really did stir feelings within her she had never really felt before.

Ib quickly shook her head. She had to stay _focused_. She opened one of the bathroom drawers, stashing her brush in it before skipping out to make a cup of coffee. This was the last day of the exhibition, and she wanted it to go smoothly.

At the very thought of the exhibition, a shiver went down Ib's spine. There was that feeling of dread again… perhaps she was just disappointed deep down in the exhibition ending. Yeah… It had to be that. As the kettle boiled, Ib tried to convince herself that this was the case.

Yet this feeling of dread really did send a shiver into her heart.

* * *

When Ib climbed out of Kara's car and gazed up at the gallery, Kara had closed her door already, moving around the car to stand in front of Ib. Ib found herself being pulled into a tight hug with her best friend.

"Hey," Kara said, smoothing down Ib's hair. "Today's going to be fantastic, and you're going to wish it never ended, alright?" Ib slowly hugged Kara back, a little surprised, and Kara gave Ib's back a pat. "It'll be so good. You'll be so happy."

Kara pulled back, smiling at Ib. Then she waved at the gallery over Ib's shoulder.

Turning, Ib saw Garry leaning against the wall next to the doors, smoking a cigarette. He smiled when Ib looked his way, dropping the cigarette on the ground and stepping on it to put it out. He pushed himself off the wall as Ib and Kara reached him, and Garry held out his arms.

"Congratulations, Ib! You made it to the last day of your exhibition!" he cheered, giving Ib a warm embrace. They remained like that for a few moments, Ib taking in his scent, and Kara pulled the keys out of her pocket.

"Let's go! People will start arriving soon!" she said, unlocking the door, and Garry pulled back from Ib, a warm smile on his face. He quickly kissed her cheek before letting go of her entirely.

Behind Ib, Kara let out a shriek. Ib whirled around as Garry's expression changed to surprise, and Ib gasped, "Kara! What's the matter?" Kara came back out of the gallery, shaking like a leaf. She shook her head, swallowing thickly.

"Ib… I don't think you want to go in there."

Ib frowned, that wave of dread going over her again. Even Garry frowned. "Why, Kaya, what's wrong?" he asked, and before Kara could answer Ib pushed past her, forcing her way into the gallery and flicking the lights on.

Ib began to choke. Kara was beginning to cry, and Garry rushed in, his mouth falling open at the sight before them, and Ib felt faint. She held her hand to her head, emotions overwhelming her like a strong wave, and Garry caught her as she staggered, trying to take in everything before them.

Directly in front of them lay one of Ib's statues, smashed to bits. Many of her larger sculptures had been pushed over, bits and pieces scattered about the room, and every single painting was ripped, smashed or slashed. Many of them had red paint dripping off them, and more red paint was strewn across the floor and walls.

"What… what…" Garry managed weakly, unable to hold Ib back as she wriggled from his grasp and screamed, "NO!" Ib began to cry, shaking her head violently and trying not to break down entirely, but it was hard to hold it off. "No, no, no," she mumbled over and over again, stumbling about the room, nearly slipping in paint a few times.

Kara still stood outside, crying, and Garry could only watch hopelessly as Ib tried half-heartedly to put paintings back together and stick statues into their original forms. A few paintings here and there – including Ib's Mary painting and one of Garry smoking – remained intact, and eventually Ib ended up in front of the Mary one.

She let out a loud, strangled sob, collapsing to her knees and banging her hands against the wall beneath the painting. "WHY?!" she screamed, tears raining down her cheeks. "Why, why, WHY?!" She was so confused, the dread now turning into grief, and she fell onto her side, curling into a small ball and just letting it all out.

Kara, still crying, closed the gallery, making a makeshift sign about how the gallery would not open today. She remained at the door, her hand pressed against her mouth and her shoulder shaking. Garry stumbled toward Ib, being careful not to step in paint or of any remains of Ib's statues, and he knelt beside Ib.

"Ib…" he whispered, grasping her shoulders and pulling her up into a sitting position. Her face was tear-strained, her hair a mess, and she had no shame in crying in front of Garry. He couldn't blame her – most of her life's work had been destroyed. She fell forward, her arms going around Garry's chest and leaning her head against him, crying harder than before.

Garry put his arms around her, putting his cheek on top of her head. "H-hey, come on now," he stuttered, still shocked, and he stroked her hair. "It's going to be alright… you made doubles of most of these paintings, remember? Most of these aren't even the original… Come on, Ib, come now…" He gently kissed her hair, trying to be comforting, but he knew he just had to let Ib grieve for the moment.

She didn't move for what seemed like hours, but she did eventually stop crying. When Garry pulled back to look at her face, he saw she was the picture of shock, and Garry knew she wouldn't be coming out of this state any time soon. He sighed slightly, picking Ib up bridal style, and her head lolled back.

Right now, Ib didn't care. She barely registered as Garry spoke to Kara, she barely registered as she was carried out to Kara's car. Everything seemed to move in slow motion; when Garry adjusted her so she could lean her head on his shoulder, everything seemed blurry except for Garry's face. The whole ride in Kara's car, she stared at Garry. It was the only thing stopping her from slipping into insanity right now, and she barely registered when the car stopped.

Ib's eyes fell closed. She heard Garry and Kara talking as Garry climbed out of the car, and they went up some stairs. Ib heard a door closing, and the word 'kettle' being said. It sounded like Kara was still crying…Ib wished she had the energy or emotion to cry right now.

Instead, she let herself remain still. Garry sat down on what Ib realised now was his couch, and he still had Ib cradled in his arms. He kissed her forehead. "I won't leave you alone… I promise. We can deal with this later. You're staying with me tonight… I don't want you to be alone." He kissed her forehead again as Kara came into the room, holding a steaming cup of tea, and Garry placed Ib sitting up on the couch.

She accepted the tea from Kara and drank deeply, recognising the tea as Kara's favourite flavour. It was soothing – she felt a little better knowing the two people closest to her were there for her.

Kara reached out, placing her hand over one of Ib's. "Ib… I'm going to go tell your parents and check on the gallery. We're not thinking about this now… I'll call you later." Kara quickly kissed Ib's forehead before heading out, the door clicking shut behind her.

Ib sat there in silence for a few moments, staring blankly ahead. She only snapped back to life when she felt the cup being removed from her hands, and Garry placed it on the coffee table. Ib continued to stare blankly, snapping back again when she felt Garry's hand under her knees and the other arm around her back, and he pulled her up so she was sitting in his lap.

They used to do this a lot when she was younger, but that was when Garry would tell Ib about various galleries and museums he'd been to, and she'd listen with wide eyes and deeply intrigued. Now, though… Ib's heart grieved. The circumstances, the age and their feelings toward one another were different.

Ib sucked in a deep breath as Garry held her close, pressing his forehead against hers. Ib closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. It was half to keep herself calm, and the other half was to breathe in Garry's familiar scent, the smell that always made her feel safe and loved. His skin was warm against hers, and for once her heart wasn't beating insistently.

Garry really did make her feel safe. He always listened, and he had been there long enough for her to consider that he'd been there forever. Garry made her feel loved in a way that was different to how her parents or Kara loved her. A way that made her want to sing, dance, laugh and cry all at once. She loved to feel his touch and to hear his voice and to see his face….

Ib felt her face heating up a little, but she kept her eyes closed for a few more moments. Her heart continued to grieve, and if she had any tears left she would have continued to cry, but now she just felt calm, and a little drained. Kara and Garry were right… now was not the time to think about that. She couldn't. It was too much on Ib's emotional and mental state, and right now she just wanted… she wanted…

Ib sighed, opening her eyes. To her surprise, Garry's were open, barely an inch from hers, and he was staring at her intently. But it was different… His gaze had changed. It did make her heart beat a little faster, and she looked down, biting her lip.

She didn't know how long they sat there. Sometimes Ib would look up and lock eyes with Garry, sometimes she would look down and other times she would just close her eyes and bask in Garry's company, glad beyond belief that he was there. Garry had always been one to chase away the darkness when Ib couldn't do it… Sometimes she needed that extra help.

After what seemed like eternity, when really they'd been there for just over an hour, Ib couldn't help breathing a laugh.

Across from her, Garry chuckled. "What is it?" he murmured, moving slightly, and Ib just smiled, her eyes closed. She shook her head slightly.

"How can you bear all of this?" she asked, shaking her head again. "I barely can… I don't want you to get dragged into it."

Garry pulled back slightly to gaze at Ib, shaking his head also. "See, I don't really get a choice," he admitted slowly, bringing his hand up to graze Ib's cheek with his thumb. "Where you're concerned, I'm always involved."

Ib felt her heart stop and start. She stared at Garry, trying to process his words, trying to decipher any hidden, negative meaning behind them, but Garry had said them with such genuine love and concern that she knew without a doubt that he wasn't lying. Garry might be confusing at times, but he was no liar… When he did lie, it was more confusing and half-hearted, and Ib knew he felt bad whenever he lied.

Now, though… His eyes spoke the truth. Courage began to mount within Ib, overcoming the grief that was threatening to overtake her. Just for a moment… She could forget. She could forget about all that, and just be here. With Garry.

Ib didn't know what came over her. With no warning for Garry, she leaned forward and pressed a small, quick kiss to his lips. She pulled back, and the two stared at each other with wide eyes. Ib opened her mouth to apologise when Garry cut across her, saying, "Don't you dare apologise," before he captured her lips again, his hand on her face going to the back of her neck and pulling her close. Ib's arms went up and around Garry, and she breathed in heavily through her nose.

In a moment, she was consumed by Garry. His lips moved against hers sensually, and his other hand ran comfortingly up and down her leg. Ib brought her hands up to hold Garry's face, pulling him closer if it was possible. For a few minutes, all they did was kiss, and Ib's heart was now thundering in her chest, all thoughts from the day gone in these moments.

Finally, however, they both had to pull back to take a breath, and when they looked each other in the eye they burst out laughing. Their laughter died down to chuckles when Ib pressed her forehead against Garry's again, breathing laughs, and she looked up at him again, feeling lighter than she did before.

He had a small doofy smile on his face – to Ib, he looked adorable. That was all it took for Ib to kiss him again, and neither knew what time it was when they finally stopped.

For the moment though, Ib had no worrying thoughts. And she was glad for that.


End file.
